Learning What Not to Do

I enjoy going to both writers' conferences and book festivals. I've never gone to one that I haven't learned from it. Some things I've heard and seen have been good, but others have not. However, the bad can also provide learning opportunities. I recently attended a Christian event where two things stood out to me from among the authors there.

First of all, I talked with some authors who were discouraged and couldn't understand why their book(s) weren't on the bestseller list or at least selling thousands of copies. In my opinion, they went into writing for the wrong reason. As a Christian writer, I write because I want to glorify God and follow his call on my life, I have stories begging to be told, and I would write even if I'd never be published. It's a part of who I am, and I'm passionate about it.

Then, I heard a number of writers say they wrote, but they weren't readers. I don't understand this, either. In my opinion, you can't be an accomplished writer if you aren't an avid reader, and you need to read widely in the genre where you want to publish. Although I've published eleven books in four years, I've also read over a thousand books during that time. Reading teaches what works and what doesn't work when writing.

I love both writing and reading, and that keeps me positive. When you do what you love, it isn't work at all. I fall in love with my characters and literally laugh and cry with them. Hopefully, I write in such a way, my readers will, too. Touching lives is what writing is all about for me - not just being successful in the world's eyes. Writing is my calling, my passion.

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